The present invention relates to a device for connecting between tubular members in oil and gas earth wells and, more particularly, to such a device which prevents relative rotation between the members and which can be easily and quickly released in the earth well.
In the operation of subterranean oil and gas earth wells, it is often necessary to perform several downhole operations in the well. Thus various types of operating tools have evolved which are sized to fit within well tubing or casing installed in the well. Traditionally, wireline has been used to connect the operating tools to equipment above ground to lower, set, and retrieve the operating tools into and from the well.
Reeled, or coiled, tubing is now being used in certain applications in place of the wireline since reeled tubing has several advantages. For example, reeled tubing does not rely on gravity for setting and retrieving the operating tools, but rather can traverse highly deviated, or horizontal, wells. Also, reeled tubing can be more rapidly inserted into the well and can be more easily passed through downhole equipment. Reeled tubing can also be used to convey fluids to the operating tool to hydraulically actuate the tool. Also, fluids such as water, foam, paraffin, corrosion inhibitors, spotting acid, cement, and the like, can be conveyed by the reeled tubing to the well for performing various functions including washing, cleaning and the like.
Emergency release devices are known which connect the reeled tubing to certain operating tools for providing a quick and reliable disconnect during emergency conditions, such as, for example, when the operating tool is jammed in the well. An emergency release device of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,362 assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
The use of operating tools having at least one rotary component, such as progressive cavity transducers, are also used in downhole operations. These type of transducers usually consist of a helicoidal rotor which rotates relative to a helicoidal stator and can act as a pump to move fluid from an inlet to an outlet connection or as a motor to deliver rotary power at the end of the rotor for drilling or milling operations in the well.
However, if used with these type of rotary tools the emergency release device discussed above does not lock against rotation of the operating tool relative to the reeled tubing. Therefore, if the rotating component of the tool becomes jammed, one component of the emergency release device would rotate, or free-wheel, relative to the other. This makes it difficult to free the jammed rotary tool.
In a similar manner, hydraulic work-over units are often used in oil and gas earth wells to introduce tubing into the well for various operations including snubbing, recompletion, fishing and recovery-related services such as spotting cement, high intensity pumping and stimulation. In these operations, plural sections of relatively rigid tubing are connected and sequentially introduced into the well. In some of these situations it is necessary to apply a rotational force, or torque, to the tubular sections in the well, such as when drilling or milling packers, for example. Although it would be desirable to connect an emergency release device of the above type between two of the adjacent sections near the drilling end of the string, the sections above the emergency release device would free-wheel relative to the sections below the device when torque is applied t the former sections.